The Assembly Line Reassembled

WHEN HENRY FORD devised the assembly line he made the automobile affordable. He also made the job of building cars, appliances and other mass-produced goods a tedious, mind-numbing task.

Partly because they believed their employees were not too bright, manufacturers broke assignments down and de-skilled them. With most of the mental effort removed, labor was left with one primary job -- keeping up with an assembly line that never stopped.

The market place is changing. Industrial leaders, prodded by foreign competition, are finding that better working conditions produce better work.

Robots are taking over the most boring tasks. And, because there are certain undertakings even the most sophisticated machines can`t handle alone, people are being asked to think.

Most important, if there is a quality control question, they are being allowed to stop the inexorable march of car bodies and washer cabinets past their posts long enough to fix the problem.

Credit the success of the Japanese in selling everything from cars and trucks to television sets to U.S. consumers for the new approach to mass production. Efforts are being made to free blue collar workers from the plodding repetition that has contributed to poor labor morale and brought on charges of shoddy craftsmanship in many segments of American industry.

Domestic manufacturers note that in Japan, when employees are hired they bring their hearts, minds and hands to the job.

In the U.S., all too often, when people are given jobs reduced to mindless monotony all the employer gets are the hands.

There is still a long way to go. But, as more companies adopt more humane and innovative labor practices there will be fewer charges that the American worker does not care.